Typical residential security deposit amount a landlord holds and later accounts for on a return statement in Texas (2026)
A typical Texas range, the local factors behind it, and the tools to price your own project.
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
What drives the cost in Texas
Texas deposits track the national typical range in Austin, Dallas, and Houston and fall below it in smaller cities and rural counties. State law sets no cap, gives landlords 30 days after move-out and receipt of a forwarding address to return the deposit with an itemized list, and makes bad faith expensive with a statutory amount plus triple the wrongfully withheld sum and attorney fees; a landlord can only keep the deposit for a missing move-out notice if the lease says so conspicuously, so confirm the current terms. Heat, hail, Gulf hurricanes, and expansive clay soils cause foundation cracks and door alignment issues that are owner costs.
Tips for Texas buyers
- Get the forwarding address in writing at move-out; the return clock does not start without it.
- Foundation, drywall, and door alignment issues from soil movement are owner maintenance, not tenant damage.
- Bold and underline any lease clause tying the deposit to move-out notice, or it is unlikely to be enforceable.
Ranges are hedged planning estimates derived from a national typical range and a local index, not quotes. A typical single deposit on a market-rate residential rental is commonly around one month's rent, which puts most deposits somewhere in this range; actual amounts vary widely with local rents, unit size, pets, and state caps, and this is a working reference rather than a survey figure.
Price your project
- Deposit Deduction Depreciation Calculator: Estimates how much of a carpet, paint, blind, or appliance replacement a landlord can fairly deduct from a security deposit once the item's age and normal wear are taken into account.
- Security Deposit Refund Statement Calculator: Adds up the deposit held, any interest owed, and each itemized deduction to show the exact refund due to the tenant or the balance the tenant still owes.
- Late Deposit Return Penalty Exposure Calculator: Shows landlords how many days remain before a state return deadline and what missing it could cost when a statute allows forfeited deductions or multiplied damages.